Title: Barkshack ginger mead
Categories: Beverages
Yield: 5 Servings
7 lb Light honey
1 1/2 lb Corn sugar
1 oz To 6 oz fresh ginger root
1 1/2 ts Gypsum
3 ts Yeast nutrient OR...
1/4 oz Yeast extract
1/4 ts Irish moss powder
1 lb To 6 lbs crushed fruit
3 oz Lemongrass, or other spices
1 pk Champagne yeast
3/4 c Corn sugar (bottling)
Boil 1 1/2 gallons of water, the honey, corn sugar, grated ginger
root, gypsum, citric acid, irish moss, and yeast nutrient for 15
minutes. Turn the heat off. If you're going to add fruit (this is
entirely optional, as are the spices) then fish out as much of the
ginger root shavings as you can. Then add your crushed fruit or
concentrate and let it steep for 10-15 minutes. Some ideas for fruit
are: Sour cherries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries,
chokecherries, rhubarb, grapes, grape concentrate... go wild here.
Pour the entire must (unsparged if fruit is added) into an open
primary fermenter and add about 3 gallons of cold water. When cooled
to 70 to 78 degrees, hydrate and pitch your yeast. After the specific
gravity has fallen to 1.020 or within 7 days, whichever comes first,
rack the brew into a secondary fermenter. Leave the fruit behind.
Age 1 to 1 1/2 months in the secondary fermenter. Bottle with 3/4
cups priming sugar. If using spices or herbs as a flavoring, add them
now by making a "tea" and adding them at bottling time. The flavors
will be fresher and sharper. Some suggested spices are lemon grass,
citrus peel (just the zest, not the white part), etc. If using
cloves, cinnamon, or hops go lightly on these. Adding flavors in this
manner also allows you to use different flavors in the same batch,
since you're just adding a "tea" to the mead at bottling time. You
can bottle two or three flavors at once this way! This mead should
age from 3 months up to a year to allow the harsh flavors to mellow
out. Tasting at 6 months will show approximate flavor profile. Serve
well chilled.